Endoscopic Management of Benign Gallbladder Diseases

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Background:

• Benign gallbladder diseases, including acute cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, and gallbladder polyps, are common.
• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the standard surgical treatment.
• Endoscopic procedures present potential alternatives to traditional surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and provide insight into various endoscopic approaches for managing benign gallbladder diseases.
• To assess the latest evidence regarding the clinical outcomes of these endoscopic methods.
• To compare the efficacy of different endoscopic techniques.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of endoscopic management strategies for gallbladder diseases.
• Inclusion of transpapillary approaches (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography).
• Inclusion of transmural access approaches (endoscopic ultrasound) and NOTES approaches.

Main Results:

• Endoscopic approaches are emerging as viable alternatives to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
• Specific techniques include transpapillary, transmural, and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES).
• High-level evidence comparing clinical outcomes is currently limited, necessitating further research.

Conclusions:

• Endoscopic management offers promising alternatives for benign gallbladder conditions.
• Further high-quality studies are required to determine the optimal endoscopic approach.
• This review synthesizes current evidence on endoscopic gallbladder disease management.